Commission sets ATV hearing in West Virginia June 5 - all terrain vehicles
Author: CPSC Monitor

Reports that deaths and injuries related to All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are rising despite government and industry safety efforts have prompted CPSC to plan a series of regional hearings on the matter.

According to CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton, "West Virginia and Pennsylvania ranked in the top six states for ATV-related deaths between 1982 and 2001." (1)

The first hearing is being held in Morgantown, W. Va. Interested persons from Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania are also invited to participate. The hearing is on June 5, 2003, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University Health Sciences Campus in Morgantown.

CPSC is accepting requests to make oral presentations at the hearing. The text of the presentation must be submitted to the CPSC, Office of the Secretary, no later than May 29, 2003.

In the 1980's The Commission tried a similar tactic when it held regional hearings on ATV safety throughout the country. After several years of study and investigation, the Commission sued ATV manufacturers and distributors under Section 12 of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). (2) The parties settled the lawsuit in 1988 by signing a consent decree, which addressed the safety hazards of both three-wheeled and four-wheeled ATVS. The consent decrees expired in 1998, but CPSC continued to monitor the safety of ATVs and gather information related to injuries and deaths.

One of the provisions of the consent decree was an agreement not to sell adult-size ATVs for children. In 2002, CPSC was petitioned by consumer organizations to ban the sale of adult-size 4-wheel ATVs for use by children under age 16. CPSC had previously rejected this option when crafting the consent decree.